Would you really ban a book for mentioning a word that is out of the norm for children? I sure wouldn’t. When the word “scrotum” was mentioned in Susan Patron children’s book, “The Higher Power of Lucky”, many librarians pledged to ban the book from elementary schools. Was it the right thing to do? In some cases it is but it all depends on how the book is being perceived. Although the book talks about Lucky growing up, it shouldn’t be a problem talking about this kind of language and body parts to children that are old enough to understand growing up. Librarians shouldn’t be losing focus on the big picture of the book instead of starting a controversy over something that has been done before in a children’s book.
Is it possible to talk about the good of this issue? In my opinion I find it as a way of teaching children who are soon to be teens what growing up means. It clearly explains that Lucky, the character in the book, is preparing herself to be a grown up. I personally find this as a good idea to slowly teach pre-teens of the body as they get older. So why ban the book? Ms. Patron clearly states that the book is aimed for children from nine to twelve years old. From my understanding these are about the last two years of elementary school and the start of your first year in middle school. There’s nothing bad about writing a book about growing up that is aimed at a young audience who can learn from it. One way I can relate this is with a health class in high school. The teachers in a health class will talk about and show pictures of sexually transmitted diseases. Does that mean that other teachers can go and complain about it? Well yes they can but they cannot start a petition to ban the class from schools. I understand that i...
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...d decided that it shouldn’t be a book for them to read.
Although the article sided with the bad things over the book, I completely disagree that Ms. Julie Bosman showed a fair and balanced report over the censorship issue. She was more in favor of the negative rather than showing the positive outcome that people may have on it. In a way I kind of thought that she would have an open mind for both good and bad over the issue but as I read she sided with the ones who thought badly of the censorship.
Works Cited
Althouse, Spencer. 15 Classic Children’s Books That Have Been Banned In America. 26 June 2013. 12 March 2014 .
Bosman, Julie. With One Word, Children's Book Sets off Uproar. 18 February 2007. 12 March 2014 .
This controversial book has been challenged in countless states for many years. In 1997 the Elgin, Illinois school district banned the book from middle school libraries. Catherine explained that the book was banned because “talk of masturbation, birth control, and disobedience to parents occurred”
In the article censorship: a personal view by Judy bulme she discusses and touches on censorship in literature in children and young adolescence books. Now in article there are a lot of possible exigencies listed threw out the article one of the main exigencies is that Judy bulme has personal experience with censorship as a little girl, with that personal account she has familiarity that compels and gives her credibility to write this article. With exigencie their also comes a purpose bulme’s purpose in the article is trying to convince parents that you should not coddle a young teen or an adolescent from literature that may not be suitable for them, but let their mind wonder and explain it after they read it. Also she communicates that censorship on books are not right because it’s unconstitutional violating the first amendment freedom of press. The audience she speaks to in article is the group of parents that are like middle age and older that have one track minds, and have to young teens and adolescent ages between 12-9 years old that are hesitant to let their children to read edgy books, teens who were her age and, have or experience the same thing she went thought as a kid, teachers and facility that believe in her cause that have lost their job over edgy books that were not age appropriate to their students. The context that you have to consider in the time of Judy bulme article is there is are a lot of issues going on the America culture that censorship of government felt need be. For inesxctie like the cold war was going on and nobody knew if another war was going to break out at any time. So any material that seemed edgy or conserverial it was going to be censored or restricted by the censors to the minors. Then th...
...ain groups consider books to be immoral does not mean they need to be pulled from the shelves. Censoring is acceptable for the youth, but there is an age when we all grow up and are able to handle books with explicit content.
Aliprandini, Michael Sprague, Carolyn. "Banning Books: An Overview." Points Of View: Banning Books (2013): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
Banning a book on the basis of profanity is merely a superficial reason of those who wish to limit beliefs that do not coincide with their own. By excluding a novel from a high school curriculum in order to shelter students from profanity, is an attempt to do the impossible. Profanity is found everywhere. According to TV Guide, "Profanity is uttered once every six minutes on American primetime television...
"Book Banning." Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 31 Jan. 2011.
well as claiming that it was "explicitly pornographic" and "immoral." After months of controversy, the board ruled that the novel could be read
Trelease, Jim. "Book Banning Violates Children and Young Adult Freedoms." Book Banning. Ed. Ronnie D. Lankford. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. At Issue. Rpt. from "Censorship and Children's Books." Trelease-on-Reading.com. 2006.Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. 31 March. 2003 http://www.judyblume.com/article/harry_potter_oped.html. Judy Blume Talks About Censorship! 2 February. The. 1999 http://www.judyblume.com/censors.html.
Banning books from public schools and public libraries is wrong. It’s irrational to have a parent or school board member’s opinion determine what a school district should be reading. Books including and not limited to, The Scarlet Letter, The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Lord of the Flies, and Animal Farm all have one thing in common. They have all at one time or another been subject to banishment. These literary classics have been around for a long time and proved to be vital to the education of many, especially children and adolescents. These novels teach values and educate children about world affairs that can not come from an everyday experience. These controversial novels encompass the materials that ultimately boost our educational wealth. Banning books infringe
People should be allowed to read whatever they want to read, even if it is a touchy subject to someone else. Although some people mainly believe in the banning of books due to explicit content, it actually causes a negative effect on people and children. Not only does it take away the people’s first amendment rights, but it also shelters children from real life situations that might affect their future. Banning books is unconstitutional and shelters children.
In this book there is some content that might be inappropriate for again some ages. The point of this book is not to teach the reader about the human body or childbirth, but to help the reader understand how Jonas (The Main Character) is feeling for the first time and to let them know how things work in the community they live in. I can see the point of view of the parents and I would be the same way with my child. All though is it really worth it to take this book to being sexually explicit. It is a book written for the entertainment of others; not for these inappropriate teachings.
I believe in the fact that everyone has their own opinion and the right for freedom of speech and press. People might say that I have no opinion or that I dont know what I am talkin about because I am under 18, but I still stand behind my opinion. The recent controversy over the censorship and banning of Toni Morrisons "The Bluest Eye" is simply a group of people trying to give thier opinion. They got their right and where able to challenged the book, but are now taking this too far. I believe this should be eliminated and they should not be able to get their way by threatening their point. The mother who has challenged this book has every right to censor what her child reads. As for other parents they might want their children to read this book. I dont see how this women really sees herself as Bakersfields "parental figure" and takes it among herself to say what other peoples children may read. Personally I feel as if she thinks me and my peers too stupid to understand the meaning of the book, and not mature enough to seperate the reality of those 11 "pornographic" lines. Sex, incest, and rape are all things that are real and happen in our world. Many children are exposed to these unpleasant realities. I believe that this women is out of touch with her daughter if she thinks that her daughter does nott know what these things are. I am very insulted at the fact that she thinks it her job to take on the responsibility to choose what I can not read. I have two parents already that make fine descisions for me, I don't really need another one. Those 11 lines are said to be pornographic and probably are when taking out of text. Those 11 lines are merely particles of the total piece of literature. I have not yet read "The Bluest Eye," but plan to. This book is said to be very eduactional and a great piece of literature. Should students really be banned from reading this book because of 11 lines? If any parent does not want to have their child read a book they have every right to not let them, but this women should have no say over any one elses child except her own. Also I think it very ridiculous of her to carry this on any further than it has already gone.
Every year in the United States we have books being banned and challenged by many people who do not like the contents of books. When researching for this argument essay I found an article written by Rebecca Hagelin. Rebecca Hagelin is the author of Home Invasion: Protecting Your Family in a Culture That’s Gone Stark Raving Mad and the vice president of communications and marketing at the Heritage Foundation (Lankford).
The subject of censorship is a very controversial one, especially the banning of books. Many people believe they must protect themselves and others from the "evils" of many classic books and works of art because they can be deemed "indecent" in one way or another. Many believe that this is absurd and censorship in its current form is a violation of our First Amendment right to free speech. Personally, I align myself with the latter, however I do feel there are occasions where censorship is justifiable.